At Urban Leaves, we are committed to producing content that is honest, informative, and inspiring. Our blog is dedicated to sustainable urban living, green design, community gardening, eco-architecture, and environmental awareness. This Editorial Policy outlines how we create, review, and publish content on our website at www.urbanleaves.blog.
We believe in transparency, integrity, and journalistic responsibility.
1. Our Editorial Mission
Urban Leaves exists to educate and empower readers who are passionate about sustainability, urban green spaces, and eco-conscious lifestyles. Our goal is to publish content that:
- Is fact-based and well-researched
- Offers practical and realistic solutions
- Reflects diverse urban experiences across Canada and beyond
- Encourages critical thinking and dialogue
We do not publish clickbait, sensationalist content, or misleading headlines.
2. Content Standards
Every article published on Urban Leaves must meet the following standards:
- Accuracy: Information must be supported by credible sources such as scientific journals, academic institutions, industry experts, or verified public data.
- Clarity: Content must be written in plain, reader-friendly English, avoiding jargon or complex terminology unless clearly explained.
- Originality: We only publish original content. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. When referencing other works, we use proper attribution and links.
- Balance: We strive to represent multiple viewpoints, especially in opinion or editorial pieces, while maintaining a fact-based core.
3. Fact-Checking and Review Process
All articles undergo a multi-step editorial review process:
- Writers are responsible for submitting accurate drafts with sources.
- Editors verify claims, citations, and formatting before publication.
- Environmental and sustainability claims are double-checked against Canadian regulations and reliable scientific data.
If an error is found after publication, we will promptly update or correct the content with a clear note indicating the change.
4. Editorial Independence
Urban Leaves maintains full editorial independence. We do not allow advertisers, partners, or sponsors to influence our editorial decisions or the integrity of our content.
Any sponsored content or affiliate partnerships will be clearly disclosed to the reader in accordance with Canadian advertising laws and guidelines set by the Competition Bureau of Canada.
5. Contributor Guidelines
We welcome contributions from writers, designers, photographers, and experts in sustainability and urban living. All guest contributors must adhere to our editorial standards, including:
- Submitting original, unpublished work
- Providing source links or citations
- Disclosing any potential conflicts of interest
- Agreeing to possible edits for clarity, accuracy, or length
All guest content is subject to approval by our editorial team.
6. Community and Comments
We encourage respectful, open discussion in the comments section of our blog. However, we do not tolerate:
- Hate speech, discrimination, or harassment
- Spam or irrelevant self-promotion
- Misinformation, conspiracy theories, or unverified claims
We reserve the right to moderate or remove comments at our discretion.
7. Updates and Corrections
Transparency is important to us. If we make an editorial correction (e.g. factual error, typo, or change in information), we will indicate the update at the bottom of the article. Significant corrections will be dated and clarified.
8. Editorial Team
Our editorial team includes passionate individuals from various professional backgrounds, including environmental science, architecture, journalism, and urban planning. We value diverse perspectives and aim to reflect the experiences of Canadians living in urban environments of all sizes.
